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PICTURE BOOKS
Kim, Dan-ah

The Grandmaster's Daughter

40 pp. | Greenwillow | November, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-307690-7 $18.99
(2) K-3 In this gently funny and fantastical picture book, readers are introduced to a quiet village, to a "modest dojang...a school of martial arts," and to Sunny, the dojang grandmaster's small daughter, already a black belt. As Sunny proceeds through the activities of a typical day in the dojang (helping the other students, sweeping the floors, practicing with her nunchucks), readers are exposed to some of the basic elements and vocabulary of Tae Kwon Do. When the students practice their kihaps--"a breath, a shout; power from the belly through the mouth!"--dragons from nearby mountains awaken and attack the dojang. The students defend themselves, but the fight is derailed by "the biggest enemy of all--their growling stomachs," and the combatants call a truce and share a snack. The text is soothingly rhythmic, with lots of alliteration and onomatopoeia. The color palette is warm and comforting, with the soft orange of the nearby persimmon trees and the sunset conveying calm. A brief summary of the principles of Tae Kwon Do is appended, but this is less an informational book than a whimsical slice of life that will appeal to many small warriors.
Reviewer: K Rachael Stein | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

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